Attalea

Read about Attalea in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Maximiliana (after Maximilian Joseph, first king of Bavaria, 1756-1825, not Prince Maximilian Alexander Philipp, as said by some). Palmaceae, tribe Attaleae. Tall pinnate-leaved palms, spineless, with ringed trunks. Known also as Englerophoenix; see Maximilianea, below. Leaves with linear pinnae; in groups, the midveins and transverse nerves prominent; rachis bifacial, strongly compressed: petiole plano-convex. This genus is distinguished from Attalea as follows: petals of the male fls. minute, much shorter than the 6 exserted stamens: fr. 1-seeded: pinnae in groups instead of equidistant. From Cocos and Scheelia it differs in the above floral characters and in the plano-convex instead of concavo- convex petioles. Fr. yellow or brown, ovoid, with fibrous or fleshy pericarp and bony endocarp, the latter 3-pored at the base, acuminate at the apex.— Species 3, St. Kitts, Trinidad and S. Amer. For cult., see Palms. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.